Hands Down
by TigerLily88
Summary: Troy and Gabriella spend some time together.  Oneshot based on Hands Down by Dashboard Confessional.


**Disclaimer:**** I do not own High School Musical, High School Musical 2, or "Hands Down" by Dashboard Confessional.**

**A/N:**_**This**__**story is for **__**grayshull**__** who asked me to write one based on this song.**_

_**Breathe in for luck.  
Breathe in so deep. **_

"**Hey, Wildcat," Gabriella said when she answered her phone.**

"**Hi, sweetheart," replied Troy. "Can I ask you something?"**

"**You can ask me anything." She sat down on her bed, confused by Troy's question.**

**Troy took a deep breath. ****"My parents are going on some business trip this weekend, so I'm going to be extra board, and I was wondering if you would like to go out on Friday…with me?"**

**She laughed. "Is that your question?" She laughed some more. "Of course I'd like to go out on Friday…with you!"**

**He smiled and laughed at her choice of words. "Great! I'll pick you up at eight."**

**"I'll see you then." She hung up and smiled. She was excited to be going out. She had been so bored this summer after the Lava Springs Talent Show.**

**  
**_**This air is blessed, you share with me.  
This night is wild, so calm and dull. **_

**At eight-o-clock on the dot, Gabriella's doorbell rang. "I'll see you later mom!" Not waiting for a reply, she grabbed her purse before opening the door to smile at Troy. "Hi, Troy," she said as she stepped out of the house.**

**Troy was mesmerized briefly by her. For a second, he felt he wasn't worthy of breathing her oxygen, but he came back to his senses and said, "You look beautiful tonight."**

**She smiled. "Thanks. So, where are we going?"**

**He held out his arm as a signal for her to link her arm through his. As he led her to his truck that was parked on the sidewalk, and held the door open for her, he said, "You'll find out soon." **

**He pulled into the parking lot of a club that was holding a high school night. Gabriella was much more excited when she saw this. "Troy, you remembered!"**

**He helped her out of his truck and said, "How could I not? You've been talking about this place's high school night for months."**

**"Come on," she said pulling him towards the entrance. "This night is going to be awesome. It's going to be wild!"**

**He laughed at her eagerness and let her pull him. They danced on and off for about an hour and a half before they got too tired to continue. "You don't have to be home for a few more hours. How about we go to my place to watch a movie or something?" Troy whispered loudly in her ear to be heard over the music.**

**"That sounds like fun," she yelled back at Troy. "This was starting to get kind of dull anyway."**

**"I agree," he shouted taking her hand to lead her back outside. The ride back to his house was a calm one.**

_**  
These hearts, they race, from self-control.  
Your legs are smooth, as they graze mine.  
We're doing fine,  
We're doing nothing at all. **_

**The movie was half way through. Troy was lying with his back on the couch, and Gabriella was lying on top of him, but off to the side so she was in between Troy and the back of the couch.**

**Troy was trying to maintain his self-control and focus on the movie, but Gabriella kept rubbing her smooth legs against his. "Uhh," Troy let out a frustrated groan because of trying to keep in control.**

"**Are you okay, Troy?" Gabriella asked looking away from the movie she couldn't pay attention to either. "Your heart is racing. I can feel it." She placed her hand over his heart to make her point.**

"**Yeah, I'm fine." He looked at her with a smile.**

"**Are you sure, because I don't think it's healthy for heart to beat this fast when it's not working out, or whatever."**

"**I assure you, Gabi, that I am fine." He continued to smile at her care.**

"**If you're sure," she said skeptically.**

"**I am sure." There was a pause before Troy spoke again. "Gabriella, I need to tell you something."**

"**Uh oh," she thought.**

**As if reading her thoughts, or her facial expressions, Troy said, "Don't worry, this is good. At least I hope it's good."**

**  
**_**My hopes are so high that your kiss might kill me.  
So won't you kill me?  
So I die happy.  
My heart is yours to fill or burst,  
to break or bury, or wear as jewelry.  
Whichever you prefer**_

**Troy wasn't sure how to start. "Um, well, I guess the only way to say this is to say it right out." He paused, taking a big breath. "I love you, Gabriella." She opened her mouth to say something, but he continued. "Before you say anything, I want you to know something else." He paused again. "I know I love you because without you, I feel like I'm going to die, or that I'm dead. I look forward to seeing you, and I look forward to kissing you." He gave her a quick peck on the lips to prove his point. "After you kiss me, I feel like I can die happy. So, I want to give my heart to you right now, so you can do whatever you want to do with it. Even if that means breaking it, which I hope not, it's your choice; whichever you prefer." He stayed quiet, his hopes running high as he waited for her to respond in the way he wanted.**

**With tears in her eyes, she finally spoke. "I love you, too, Troy."**

**They smiled at each other happily. "Then, I need to give you this." He pulled out a square, velvet box from his pant's pocket, and handed it to her.**

"**Troy," she said shakily as she took the box from his hand. "You just gave me a necklace when we got out for summer vacation. You didn't have to get me anything else."**

"**I know I didn't, but I wanted to. Now, open it."**

"**If you insist," she said with a smile and opened the box. Inside was the most beautiful ring she had ever seen. She let out a small gasp. It was a ten karat, yellow gold ring with their birthstones placed inside hearts, and their names inscribed on the sides of the ring. The inside of the ring was inscribed with, **_**"You have my heart forever."**_

"**Do you like it?"**

"**That's a stupid question. I love this ring, Troy." She tore her eyes away from the ring to look in his eyes. "Almost as much as I love you."**

**He could only smile. He took the ring out of the box, and placed it on her left ring finger. They cuddled up again to "watch" the last few minutes of the movie.  
**

**  
**_**The words are hushed, "let's not get busted."  
Just lay entwined here, undiscovered.  
Safe in here from all the stupid questions.**_

**When the movie ended, Gabriella spoke in a hushed tone, "I wish we could stay her forever, with no interruptions."**

**"Me, too, but for now, we won't get busted, so let's just lay here together, entwined, where no one will discover us."**

**"That sounds like a plan," sighed Gabriella comfortably. "Here, we're also safe from the stupid questions of our friends."**

**Troy's cell phone rang and he looked at the caller ID. "You want to bet?" He groaned. **

**  
**_**"Hey did you get some?"  
Man that is so dumb.  
Stay quiet, stay near, stay close, they can't hear. **_

_**So we can get some.**__****_

**"What do you want, Chad?"**

**"Nothing, I just wanted to see what you were up to."**

**"Nothing much…I'm just hanging out with my girlfriend."**

**"Did you get some?"**

**"Jason?" Troy asked hearing a new voice.**

**"Yep, Zeke and I are here with Chad. So, did you get some?"**

**"Man, that is so dumb," Chad's voice came back on. "We're just going to hang up now."**

**"Thanks, man, I'll see you later."**

**"Bye," Chad, Jason, and Zeke said in unison.**

**"Bye, guys," replied Troy then hung up.**

**"So you can get some?" questioned Gabriella.**

**"Yeah, they were just being guys…and also our stupid friends with their stupid questions."**

**Gabriella giggled before tuning serious. "So you don't want to get some?"**

**"I don't need to get some. Right now, I'm perfectly happy just laying here with you."**

**"But you might want some?" continued Gabriella.**

**"I'll want some when you do."**

**"I can live with that." Gabriella smiled, and rested her head and left hand on his chest. Troy smiled back at her.**

**  
**_**My hopes are so high that your kiss might kill me.  
So won't you kill me?  
So I die happy.  
My heart is yours to fill or burst,  
to break or bury, or wear as jewelry.  
Whichever you prefer. **_

**He kissed the top of her head, and admired her. His eyes finally landed on her hand where her new ring sat. He picked up her hand, lacing their fingers, and he thought about how wonderful the ring looked placed there. He loved her so much.**

**  
**_**Hands down this is the best day I can ever remember.  
Always remember the sound of the stereo.  
The dim of the soft lights.  
The scent of your hair, that you twirled in your fingers.  
And the time on the clock, when we realized "It's so late!" **_

**Troy grabbed a remote, trying not to disrupt the comfortable position, and he put on some soft music. They listened to it together. Gabriella shifted a little, and her haired stayed in a place where Troy couldn't help but smell it. He loved the smell of her hair. He also loved the way she always twirled it around her fingers. **

**"Oh my, gosh!" said Gabriella, popping up from her spot, and interrupting Troy's thoughts. "It's so late!"**

**Troy looked at the clock. "Oh, no…come on," he took her hand, "let's go."**

**  
**_**And this walk that we share together.  
The streets were wet, and the gate was locked,  
So I jumped it, and I let you in.  
And you stood at your door, with your hands on my waist.  
And you kissed me like you meant it.  
And I knew...that you meant it.**_

**They walked together peacefully back to Gabriella's house. It must have rained a little because the streets were wet. The two couldn't help but jump in the puddles. They finally reached Gabriella's house. "Oh, no, the gate's locked." She began to look through her purse. "I don't have the key for the gate. I must have left it in the house."**

**"Don't worry, Gabriella." Without warning, Troy jumped over the gate, unlocked it, and let her in.**

**"You did that so well."**

**"Well, I've had practice," replied Troy, referring to his late night visits to Gabriella's room via balcony.**

**"Oh, right," said Gabriella as realization hit her.**

**He walked her to the front door. They stood there for a moment or two then Gabriella stepped closer, placing her hands on his waist. She leaned in, and kissed him. The kiss told the other everything they needed to know: they knew the other meant it when they said, "I love you."**

**  
**_**that you meant it... that you meant it..  
and i knew that you meant it.. that you meant it.**_

**A/N:**_**I'm sorry I haven't updated my other story, but I've been bombarded with college homework and club activities. I hope this one-shot will tide all you readers over until I find the time to post the next chapter of "He's Back and He's Sorry."**_


End file.
